There are several dental challenges that we might face with our teeth and if we are on a shoe-string budget we might not be able to afford the fees charged by dentists. Under these circumstances where do we find low cost dental services?

There are charitable and low-cost dental care clinics that offer one discounts on dental treatments. Assistance programs are different state to state. You should contact your state dental society to find out if there are such programs in your locality.

Another place where you will be assured of finding low cost dental services will be at a dental school. Generally, in dental schools all that you will have to pay for will be the cost of the equipments and materials. You might be required to pay a partial payment for the professional services rendered. Even taking all this into consideration your savings will be manifold for certain. You will be able to get the information about a dental school closest to you from your state dental society.

You could also ask your dentists if they will be able to offer you a considerable discount taking your financial constraints into consideration. The Bureau of Primary Health Care has federally funded community health centers that provide dental care at a discounted rate. They have special packages for people who fall under the low income group.

There are also several research institutes and top of the lot is the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDR) which supports research in the improvement of oral health hence they give financial assistance to people for dental treatment. These research institutes look for volunteers with particular dental care concerns in order to conduct clinical trials on. These researchers will be able to give you limited free or low-cost dental treatment for particular conditions that they are investigating and researching on. If you qualify for a research clinical trial then you can get dental care at a subsidized rate.

There are several other charitable organizations too that can help you to get dental care at a far less cost than at a dental clinic.

There are special health care insurance programs including dental care for people above 65 years.

There are some local hospitals that provide reduced cost dental care. These are manned by dental residents. Dental assistants are supervised by dentists.

Therefore, although we receive excellent dental care it comes at a cost. And during difficult economic times it becomes difficult to pay for services that are expensive.

At the same time you cannot neglect dental care as it is a gift that you give yourself. You could start off with preventive habits such as regularly brushing and flossing your teeth. Then you will require professional care for only the basic checkups.

Always remember that the more you neglect a dental problem the bigger it becomes and then you will end up paying more for it. Hence, at the first sign of dental concerns get yourself to a dentist to nip the trouble in the bud.